Wrexham Council to discuss city status

After it missed out in 2002 - Councillors for the biggest town in North Wales will meet to decide whether to bid for city status again.

At a meeting next week Wrexham Council will discuss whether or not they want to bid in 2012 - the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

Those for it insist it will improve economic and tourism opportunities but not everyone is convinced it is the right way to go.

Council Leader Aled Roberts is one of them.

He said:

"My gut reaction is to say that from a personal point of view, as someone who has lived here all their life, I'm not particularly bothered whether I live in a city or a town.

"What I am bothered about is the quality of life.

"There is a view that we need to be ambitious, it is certainly the view of industrialists that we should be pitching for this but personally I am not wholly convinced."

However, Wrexham MP Ian Lucas believes the Council should bid for city status once again.

He said:

"All of us with an interest in the town should be striving to promote Wrexham.

"Securing a University and strengthening our transport links has helped the town but we should not talk our town down or lower our ambition.

"I know that city status would also benefit Wrexham economically – and it would secure our reputation as the key centre in North Wales.

"Other towns in the region are diversifying economically – such as St Asaph’s focus on high-tech firms – and I do not want to see Wrexham get left behind."